


Sam to the Rescue!

by justspn



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Caring!Sam, Gen, Sick!Dean, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-14
Updated: 2015-10-14
Packaged: 2018-04-26 07:18:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4995292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justspn/pseuds/justspn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean comes down with a nasty cold and Sam is there to be the hero of the story, even if Dean thinks he doesn't need a hero.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sam to the Rescue!

Dean coughed the tickle out of his throat and looked at Sam. "What?" he barked.

"Need a drink?" Sam asked, offering up a bottle of water. 

"Thanks." Dean mumbled, taking the bottle from Sam. 

"You feeling okay?" Sam asked quietly. He'd been noticing the little sniffles and the squinty eyes Dean made when he had a headache.

"Yes Sam, I'm fine. Would you lay off?" Dean snapped.

Sam added irritability to the growing list of his brother's symptoms. 

Dean held the bottle in between his thighs as he twisted the cap off. His hands were sweaty, making his grip slip. "Little help?" Dean asked, handing the bottle back to Sam. Sam cracked it open and handed it back. Dean took a sip, easing the ache that had formed in his throat. He sighed and took another sip before putting the lid back on the bottle. 

"When we get back to the bunker I need to look up that thing we found. What did you call it?" Sam asked. 

Dean rolled his eyes. "A warpple. But I'm not even sure that's a thing, it's just what that other hunter called it." 

"Well, I'll find out." Sam said proudly. 

Dean smirked and pushed harder on the gas pedal. He really wanted to shower and climb into bed.

XXXXX

Dean sighed as the hot water pounded against his back, easing the tension that had coiled up across his shoulders. He rolled his head around, stretching his neck. 

"You know what? Fuck it." Dean mumbled to himself. He lowered his aching body to the floor of the tub and made the water hotter. He propped his head against his arms, letting the water drip down around his face. The steam from the shower was easing the constricted feeling in his sinuses and he could almost breathe through his left nostril again. 

Closing his eyes, Dean let his mind wander. It didn't wander far before stopping on the ickiness he was feeling. He wasn't sick exactly, he just didn't feel /good/. He was tired, really tired. Sleeping in his own bed at the bunker had spoiled him, so now sleeping in those shitty motels really screwed with his sleeping patterns. Not to mention the knots that formed in his lower back after a night or two in a motel. 

Shivering, he realized that the water was growing cold. He turned the spray off and heaved himself into a standing position. His vision fuzzed black and he had to steady himself on the wall until he could see again. He wrapped a towel around his waist and padded to his bedroom. He pulled on a grey Henley and a worn pair of sweatpants before going back to the bathroom. He hung his towel on his hook and quickly brushed his teeth. He passed Sam in the hallway on his way back to his room. 

"Hey, do you wanna go-" Sam started.

"The only place I'm going is bed." Dean interrupted. 

"Oh. Okay. Tomorrow night then." Sam said. He grew concerned when he noticed how Dean's color was missing from his face.

"Whatever you say Sammy." Dean said, walking to his bedroom. He pulled the blankets back and laid down under them, sighing as the memory foam mattress absorbed his body.

XXXXX

Sam glanced at the clock. It was already past noon and he hadn't so much as heard from Dean. Deciding that he should check on his slumbering brother, Sam padded down the hall to Dean's room. He knocked softly before pushing the door open. Dean was buried under his blankets. Sam could hear Dean's congested breathing. He didn't dare feel Dean's forehead, but from the flushed look on Dean's cheeks, Sam guessed he was running a fever.

Closing the door silently, Sam went into the bathroom to check the med kit. They were out of Benadryl and Dean was a sucker for the pink pills. Sam left a note on the bathroom counter before heading to Rite Aid. 

XXXXX

Dean woke up to snot dripping down his face. He groped the bedside table for tissues and blew all the green gunk out of his head. His throat stung when he swallowed, his head felt like it could explode at any second, and he felt feverish. He shivered as he sat up and placed his bare feet on the cold floor. He tugged on his old hoodie and made the trek to the bathroom. After he used the bathroom he noticed Sam's note. 

"D- Gone to the store. Be back soon. -S'

Dean left the note on the counter and went into the kitchen. There was coffee in the pot, but Dean wasn't in a coffee mood. He boiled some water and poured himself a cup of herbal tea with honey mixed in. He carried the mug with shaky hands back to his room and got into bed. Sipping at the tea helped his throat, but the rest of his body was miserable. No matter how many times he blew his nose he couldn't breathe though it. His head hurt and he felt like he wanted to cry. He didn't know why, but having a fever always made him want to cry, ever since he was a kid. He snuggled down under the covers, abandoning the little bit of tea he had left for the temptation of sleep. 

XXXXX

Sam stuck his head into Dean's room when he got back to the bunker. The only hint that Dean had moved at all in the past 18 hours was the cup of tea sitting on his nightstand. Sam sighed. Dean drinking tea was never a good sign. Sam flicked on the light and carried the bags of supplies he'd bought at Rite Aid along with their thermometer into the room. He gently set everything on the bed and pulled the blankets back until he found Dean's head. He palmed Dean's forehead, not surprised at the fever. 

"Dean?" Sam said quietly. Dean scrunched up his eyebrows but stayed sleeping. "Dean." Sam said again. 

"What's wrong Sammy?" Dean asked, waking up with a start. 

"Nothing, I just need to take your temperature and give you some meds." Sam said. Dean relaxed into the pillows. 

"I'll be okay, I just need to sleep." Dean mumbled. 

"Just let me take your temperature. Then I'll leave you alone." Sam said. Dean nodded and closed his eyes. Sam stuck the thermometer in Dean's ear and waited for it to get a reading. "You have a fever man. Take some Tylenol and drink."

"Will you leave me alone if I do?" Dean asked. 

"I said I would." Sam smiled. He poured a few pills into Dean's hand and gave him a Gatorade. Dean took the pills, wincing when the citrus flavor of the Gatorade stung his throat. "You need anything? You really don't look so good." Sam said gently. He reached his hand out again to feel Dean's forehead and was surprised when Dean leaned into the touch. 

"I need you to leave me alone so I can sleep." Dean whispered, not meaning it. What he really wanted was for Sam to crawl into bed with him so he could finally warm up, but there was no way in hell he was asking his grown ass brother to sleep with him. 

"Okay. Text me if you need anything. I'll be in the library." Sam said. He felt reluctant to leave Dean alone but he said he wanted to be left alone, so that's what Sam would do, even though it would kill him. He was always a mother hen, even if he wasn't trying to be. Right now, his mother hen senses were tingling but he ignored them. 

Dean felt tears prickle the sides of his eyes as Sam walked away. He squeezed them shut and tried to let his mind fuzz black, but he couldn't stop thinking about how cold he was and how he just wanted to snuggle with someone. Eventually sleep took over, because the next thing he knew he was waking up drenched in sweat. He sat up, flipping the blankets off his body. He struggled to pull his hoodie off before getting out of bed. He shuffled down the hall to the library. Sam was sitting at the table leafing through a book the Men of Letters had left behind. 

"Sammy?" Dean asked, his voice breaking. He felt really shitty and just wanted Sam to make him feel better. 

"Dean? You okay?" Sam asked, getting up to go to Dean's side. He looked wobbly on his feet and Sam didn't want him to pass out. He gently lead Dean to a chair and sat him down before he keeled over. 

"Can you change the sheets for me? They're really sweaty." Dean whispered. He hated asking Sam for help but there wasn't much he could do. He was dizzy and tired and he could feel the fever tears threatening to spill onto his cheeks. 

"Yeah, yeah of course I can." Sam said gently, noticing the tears welled up in Dean's eyes. He felt Dean's forehead. He was still burning up, but the Tylenol had helped. "Come on, let's get you into bed." Sam led Dean down the hall to his room. He sat Dean down on the chair in the corner and started changing the sheets. He got confused when he ran a hand over the area Dean had been lying in. There wasn't any sweat on the sheets. They were dry. "Dean, these are fine. Come back to bed." Sam said. 

Dean stood up slowly and went over to the bed. He felt the sheets before lying down. "Huh. I was drenched when I woke up." Dean croaked. 

"Let me grab you some clean sweats." Sam said, grabbing a pair out of the closet along with an old tee shirt. Dean changed into them and settled back in under the blankets. 

"Can I take anything?" Dean asked. His head was fuzzy and he couldn't remember how long it had been since Sam had given him a dose of meds. 

"Not yet. I'll come in as soon as the four hours are up and drug you up. Don't worry." Sam said. Dean forced a smirk but it faded quickly. Sam noticed. "What's up? You okay?" 

Dean nodded, determined not to let himself cry. 

Sam knew how his brother got when he was running a fever. Clingy and cuddly and everything the Winchester name was against. He guessed that Dean wanted him to lie with him but was too macho to admit it. "Let me go put on some sweats. I'll be right back." Sam said quietly. Dean sighed, a few tears slipping down his cheeks involuntarily. He scooted over on the bed to make room for Sam. 

Sam came back into the room with his phone and a bottle of water for Dean. "Drink this before you fall asleep." Sam said. Dean took a few gulps, but he really wasn't thirsty and his stomach was starting to hurt. Sam crawled into bed next to Dean and smiled when he felt Dean curl up into his side. 

"Thanks Sammy." Dean whispered, sleep tugging at his eyelids. 

Sam wrapped a hand around Dean's wrist and gave it a squeeze. "You can always ask me for help Dean. Even if it's only to get you to sleep. That's what I'm here for." Sam whispered back. Dean nuzzled his way into Sam's arm as an answer and let himself fall asleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Dean has the same symptoms I have rn. Don't know what it is but it sucks asshole.


End file.
